Qatar beats out USA to host 2022 World Cup

Originally posted by global_nomad:I have nothing against Qatar, I've lived in the Middle East and am thinking about moving to the UAE, Bahrain, or Qatar in a year and half, I just don't get how 14 air conditioned stadium is good for 1 city. Its more of a waste than the Olympics in Salt Lake City. Once the event is gone you are just left with empty venues.

The royal family probably doesn't mind the price tag, but I also lived in Japan during the Japan-Korea world cup and part of the fun is fans moving from one city to the next to follow their team. Having all 32 teams and fans in 1 place just seems like it takes away some of the spirit of the tournament. I guess it will all work out though.

Holy s**t you really are a global nomad.

ya I spent 12 years overseas, but the last 6 almost 7 in the bay area.

But Saudi Arabia isn't America's only unwilling ally in the Persian Gulf. The tiny kingdom of Qatar -- which was last week granted the right to hold the 2022 soccer World Cup -- was singled out as the "worst in the region" for its overall level of counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S.

The Clinton cable said the Taliban, LeT and al-Qaida use the country as a "fundraising locale." And "although Qatar's security services have the capability to deal with direct threats," the document pointed out that the ruling regime was "hesitant to act against known terrorists" out of fear of "provoking reprisals" for being too closely aligned with Washington.

Originally posted by ninerlifer:So what if the stadiums will be air conditioned? What do they propose to do for masses of fans coming in to watch it? Make air conditioned bubbles for them to walk around in?

Just a poor decision on FIFA's part.

Well, look at it this way, it's a dry heat. However, isn't Africa quite humid? I think we are over rating the heat. Qatar has held large events before and can easily handle this one.

LONDON (AP)—Soccer’s governing body was hit with new corruption allegations Tuesday when six FIFA executive committee members were accused of receiving or demanding bribes during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast were allegedly paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar, according to evidence submitted to a British parliamentary inquiry by The Sunday Times newspaper.

The Gulf nation beat the United States in the final round of voting in December for the 2022 tournament.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons also heard from the former head of England’s 2018 bid, who described the conduct of executive committee members Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi in the 2018 contest as “improper and unethical.”

In Zurich, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he will ask for evidence that supports the claims and forward any allegations to the FIFA ethics committee.

“I cannot say they are all angels or they are all devils,” he said of the executive members.

“We must have the evidence and then we will act immediately against all those (who) would be breach of the ethical code rules,” Blatter added.

Referring to his bid for re-election next month against Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar, Blatter said: “I’m fighting to clear FIFA, I’m fighting to clean FIFA.”

The bidding contest was rocked even before the vote when The Sunday Times published in October details of an undercover investigation that led to two of FIFA’s 24 executive committee members being suspended.

Originally posted by global_nomad:LONDON (AP)—Soccer’s governing body was hit with new corruption allegations Tuesday when six FIFA executive committee members were accused of receiving or demanding bribes during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast were allegedly paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar, according to evidence submitted to a British parliamentary inquiry by The Sunday Times newspaper.

The Gulf nation beat the United States in the final round of voting in December for the 2022 tournament.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons also heard from the former head of England’s 2018 bid, who described the conduct of executive committee members Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi in the 2018 contest as “improper and unethical.”

In Zurich, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he will ask for evidence that supports the claims and forward any allegations to the FIFA ethics committee.

“I cannot say they are all angels or they are all devils,” he said of the executive members.

“We must have the evidence and then we will act immediately against all those (who) would be breach of the ethical code rules,” Blatter added.

Referring to his bid for re-election next month against Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar, Blatter said: “I’m fighting to clear FIFA, I’m fighting to clean FIFA.”

The bidding contest was rocked even before the vote when The Sunday Times published in October details of an undercover investigation that led to two of FIFA’s 24 executive committee members being suspended.

Two of the paper’s investigative journalists told the committee in a letter that a whistleblower who had worked for the Qatari bid told them in December that the country “had paid $1.5 million to two FIFA ExCo members—Hayatou and Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast—to secure their votes.”

Reporters Jonathan Calvert and Claire Newell added that “a similar deal had been struck with Amos Adamu, although he was prevented from voting because he was suspended following our original article.”

Calvert and Newell said the whistleblower—who was not identified—told them the cash would go to the three members’ soccer federations, but “there would be no questions asked about how the money was used.”

“It was said in such a way that ‘We are giving it to you,”’ they quoted the whistleblower as saying. “It was going to their federation. Basically, if they took it into their pocket, we don’t give a jack.”

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